The United Kingdom and Norway have agreed a landmark defence-industrial package that will see Oslo buy at least five Type 26 frigates from British shipyards, a transaction officials value at about £10 billion. The accord was signed in Stavanger last week by UK Defence Secretary John Healey and Norwegian Defence Minister Tore O. Sandvik, capping months of negotiation aimed at knitting the two navies into what London calls a “combined fleet” capable of joint operations in the North Sea and Baltic.

British ministers frame the order as the largest warship export in their country’s history. Construction will be led by BAE Systems at the Govan and Scotstoun yards on the Clyde, anchoring work for roughly 4 000 skilled jobs across the United Kingdom, half of them in Scotland. Government figures also point to a wider supply-chain boost: 432 companies, including 222 small and medium-sized enterprises, are expected to feed parts and services into the programme during the next decade.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer travelled to BAE Scotstoun to thank shipbuilders, telling workers that the deal shows how defence exports can drive growth and protect national security while advancing the administration’s Plan for Change. Ministers argue that steady naval work will encourage apprenticeships, preserve high-end welding and systems-integration skills and keep yards viable for future projects.

Strategically, the frigates will carry advanced sonar and Sea Ceptor missiles, giving Norway a blue-water platform that can sail interchangeably with Royal Navy escorts. Officials on both sides say the arrangement will tighten deterrence on NATO’s northern flank as Russia continues to test allied vigilance from the Barents to the Baltic. Regular combined training and officer exchanges are envisaged, with Healey describing the two fleets as working as one to raise barriers against any aggression directed at Scandinavian or North Atlantic sea lanes.

Sandvik praised the agreement as proof of shared values and geography, noting that Britain and Norway already co-operate on submarine detection and F-35 operations. Healey, for his part, called the contract a striking vote of confidence in UK industry and a signal that collective defence still underpins European security. Delivery schedules have not been publicly disclosed, though officials indicated that Norway’s first hull could enter the water near the end of the decade, aligning with Royal Navy plans to bring its own Type 26s into service.